Sooner or later, the family has to eat, and there’s no better way to spend time with kids than by getting your hands messy together. A bonus: Children will usually eat things they make.
When working with little chefs, a certain added mess is to be expected. Also, don’t be overly concerned about time: Children will have more fun if you’re not watching the clock.
Little cooks have short attention spans, so give them quick, simple jobs and instructions a step at a time.
When my oldest son, Ben, turned 3, he suddenly took an interest in cooking. Granted a pardon to stand on the furniture (his dining room chair) and motivated by the opportunity to taste ingredients as they went into the bowl, he would happily stir together what we placed in front of him.
A good recipe to try is Benjamin’s Blueberry Buckle. This dessert recipe has been retooled for young bakers, incorporating a cake mix to simplify the process. The streusel topping has been altered by adding quick-cooking oats.
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